What Is the Air Quality in McKenzie, North Dakota?
McKenzie, North Dakota has an Air Quality Grade of C (fair) with a 5-year median AQI of 36. The dominant pollutant is Ground-Level Ozone, and air quality has been stable over the past decade.
McKenzie, North Dakota Air Quality Snapshot
| Air Quality Grade | C64/100 |
| 5-Year Median AQI | 36 (Good) |
| Most Recent Median AQI (2023) | 39 (Good) |
| Dominant Pollutant | Ground-Level Ozone |
| 10-Year Trend | Stable (+0.18 AQI/yr) |
| Unhealthy Days (last 5 yr) | 23 |
| National Rank (cleanest = #1) | #269 of 1,020 (26th cleanest percentile) |
| North Dakota Rank | #2 of 10 |
What Does the C Grade Mean?
McKenzie, North Dakota earns a C — air quality is fair, but not great. With a 5-year median AQI of 36, the city sees a meaningful number of "Moderate" days each year, when the EPA flags air as a concern for unusually sensitive people.
McKenzie, North Dakota's 5-year median AQI of 36 is 5 points below the national average of 41 — meaningfully cleaner than the typical U.S. metro tracked here. Within North Dakota, McKenzie, North Dakota's air quality is roughly typical for the state, where the average city posts a 5-year median AQI of 37.
For context within North Dakota: Williams, North Dakota currently holds the state's cleanest grade (B, AQI 34), while Ward, North Dakota sits at the bottom (C, AQI 36).
What's in McKenzie, North Dakota's Air?
The dominant pollutant in McKenzie, North Dakota is Ground-Level Ozone. Ground-level ozone forms when sunlight reacts with vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions. It is worst on hot, sunny, stagnant summer days. Ozone irritates the lungs, triggers asthma attacks, and reduces lung function — even healthy adults can feel chest tightness and shortness of breath after exercising in elevated ozone.
Days by Dominant Pollutant (2023)
| Pollutant | Days as Dominant | Share of Year |
|---|---|---|
| Ground-Level Ozone | 254 | 70% |
| Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) | 110 | 30% |
Is the Air Getting Better or Worse?
Air quality in McKenzie, North Dakota has held roughly steady over the past decade, with year-to-year shifts in median AQI of less than half a point. That stability makes the city's long-run grade a reliable signal of what residents can expect day-to-day.
In 2014, McKenzie, North Dakota posted a median AQI of 36. By 2023 that figure was 39 — a rise of 3 AQI points dirtier across 10 years of EPA records.
Year-by-Year AQI in McKenzie, North Dakota
| Year | Median AQI | Good Days | Unhealthy Days | Dominant Pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 36 | 323 | 2 | Ozone |
| 2015 | 35 | 315 | 6 | Ozone |
| 2016 | 33 | 356 | 0 | Ozone |
| 2017 | 37 | 307 | 2 | Ozone |
| 2018 | 38 | 293 | 0 | Ozone |
| 2019 | 35 | 343 | 0 | Ozone |
| 2020 | 34 | 346 | 0 | Ozone |
| 2021 | 36 | 286 | 8 | Ozone |
| 2022 | 35 | 294 | 0 | Ozone |
| 2023 | 39 | 277 | 15 | Ozone |
Health Context for McKenzie, North Dakota
Across the past five years, this area has logged just 23 days where AQI rose into the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" range or worse — about 5 days per year, or roughly one every other month. That is a low count by national standards.
Healthy adults can continue normal outdoor activity in most weather, but should pay attention to AQI alerts during the worst pollution windows. People with asthma, heart disease, or pregnancy should reduce prolonged or intense outdoor exertion on flagged days, and consider running an indoor HEPA air cleaner during peak season. Because ozone peaks in the afternoon on hot sunny days, plan outdoor exercise for early morning or after sunset on bad-air days.
How This Grade Is Calculated
The AirHistory Air Quality Grade combines four signals: the 5-year median AQI (40% of the score), the 10-year trend direction (30%), the count of unhealthy days per year (20%), and the dominant pollutant type (10%). All four come directly from the EPA Air Quality System (AQS), which aggregates readings from federally certified monitors. Read the full methodology.
McKenzie, North Dakota has an Air Quality Grade of C (fair) with a 5-year median AQI of 36. The dominant pollutant is Ground-Level Ozone, and air quality has been stable over the past decade.
The data source behind this answer is the EPA Air Quality System (AQS). Every figure on the page traces back to that source; the methodology page describes the inputs and the refresh cadence in full detail.
A practical caveat: the headline answer above reflects the most recent the EPA Air Quality System (AQS) vintage; underlying data is often revised for months after first publication, and the right reference for any specific decision is whichever vintage is current at the time of the decision. The as-of date is stamped on every page.
Source: EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data, 2026.